hypotheticalhurricanesfandomcom-20200216-history
2019 Atlantic hurricane season (Manatee)
The 2019 Atlantic hurricane season was an above average hurricane season, tied with the 1887, 1995, 2010, 2011, and 2012 seasons for the third highest number of named storms since record-keeping began in 1851. The season officially began on June 1 and ended on November 30, dates which conventionally delineate the period during each year in which most tropical cyclones develop over the Atlantic Ocean. However, the first named storm of the season, Tropical Storm Andrea, formed nearly three months earlier. The final system, Tropical Storm Tanya, dissipated on November 28th. Before the season began, many forecasters predicted an above-average season, a prediction which proved to be correct. The impact of the season was significant, and effects from storms were felt across the Atlantic from Mexico to Virginia. Tropical Storms Andrea and Barry had no effect on land, and Hurricane Chantal, the first hurricane of the season, dealt minimal damage to Bermuda and killed one person. Hurricane Dorian, the first major hurricane of the season, brought squalls to the Cape Verde islands before landfalling in the Dominican Republic. 165 people were killed. Tropical Storm Erin brought heavy rains to West Florida, especially in the Sarasota area, where flooding from the storm killed two. Next, Tropical Storm Fernand hit Mexico and dissipated, dealing minimal damage to Mexico. Hurricane Gabrielle, initially projected to be strong after forming near Cape Verde, never made it past Category 1, and never hit land, which also applied to Tropical Storm Humberto. On the contrary, Hurricane Imelda, one of the strongest storms in Atlantic history, with winds gusting to 180 mph, brought devastating rains and flooding to East Texas and Louisiana, which was still recovering from previous storms in 2017 and 2018. Hurricane Jerry passed through the Bahamas, dealing several million dollars worth of damage but leaving no fatalities. A lull occurred after, with both Tropical Storms Karen and Lorenzo having no effect on land. However, Hurricane Melissa became the third most destructive hurricane in US history, ravaging the East Coast after making landfall at peak intensity near Virginia Beach. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Nestor brought heavy rains to Mexico, and Hurricane Olga killed twenty in South Florida. For the rest of the season, storms dealt minimal impact, with Hurricane Sebastien notably making landfall in an uninhabited stretch of Newfoundland and Labrador, making it one of the most northerly landfalls of all time. Timeline ImageSize = width:800 height:210 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20 Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/03/2019 till:01/01/2020 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/06/2019 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TD value:rgb(0.38,0.73,1) legend:Tropical_Depression_=_<39_mph_(0–62_km/h) id:TS value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Tropical_Storm_=_39–73_mph_(63–117 km/h) id:C1 value:rgb(1,1,0.80) legend:Category_1_=_74–95_mph_(119–153_km/h) id:C2 value:rgb(1,0.91,0.46) legend:Category_2_=_96–110_mph_(154–177_km/h) id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.76,0.25) legend:Category_3_=_111–130_mph_(178–209_km/h) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.56,0.13) legend:Category_4_=_131–155_mph_(210–250_km/h) id:C5 value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Category_5_=_>=156_mph_(>=251_km/h) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:11 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:17/03/2019 till:23/03/2019 color:TS text:Andrea from:04/06/2019 till:07/06/2019 color:TS text:Barry from:21/06/2019 till:26/06/2019 color:C1 text:Chantal from:08/07/2019 till:10/07/2019 color:TD text:Four from:22/07/2019 till:29/07/2019 color:C3 text:Dorian from:28/07/2019 till:02/08/2019 color:TS text:Erin from:05/08/2019 till:11/08/2019 color:TS text:Fernand from:16/08/2019 till:26/08/2019 color:C1 text:Gabrielle from:18/08/2019 till:21/08/2019 color:TD text:Nine barset:break from:23/08/2019 till:28/08/2019 color:TS text:Humberto from:02/09/2019 till:16/09/2019 color:C5 text:Imelda from:12/09/2019 till:19/09/2019 color:C3 text:Jerry from:22/09/2019 till:26/09/2019 color:TS text:Karen from:30/09/2019 till:03/10/2019 color:TS text:Lorenzo from:05/10/2019 till:25/10/2019 color:C4 text:Melissa from:08/10/2019 till:10/10/2019 color:TS text:Nestor from:15/10/2019 till:23/10/2019 color:C4 text:Olga from:20/10/2019 till:24/10/2019 color:TS text:Pablo barset:break from:30/10/2019 till:05/11/2019 color:C2 text:Rebekah from:12/11/2019 till:21/11/2019 color:C1 text:Sebastien from:25/11/2019 till:28/11/2019 color:TS text: Tanya bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/03/2019 till:01/04/2019 text:March from:01/04/2019 till:01/05/2019 text:April from:01/05/2019 till:01/06/2019 text:May from:01/06/2019 till:01/07/2019 text:June from:01/07/2019 till:01/08/2019 text:July from:01/08/2019 till:01/09/2019 text:August from:01/09/2019 till:01/10/2019 text:September from:01/10/2019 till:01/11/2019 text:October from:01/11/2019 till:01/12/2019 text:November TextData = pos:(570,30) text:"(From the" pos:(617,30) text:"Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale)" Storms Tropical Storm Andrea An extratropical cyclone formed in the central Atlantic on March 16th, three months before the official start of the hurricane season. The storm moved to the northwest before its convection bands intensified, allowing it to become fully tropical. It was deemed Tropical Storm Andrea on March 17th, and moved slowly across the North Atlantic before turning back into an extratropical storm on March 23rd. Andrea was only the second recorded cyclone to be formed in the month of March, after "Hurricane One" in 1908, and the only tropical storm to form in March. Tropical Storm Barry A tropical wave off the coast of Morocco was identified by the National Hurricane Advisory after a bout of convection at its center. The potential cyclone officially became Tropical Depression Two on June 03, two days after the season officially began. Conditions were unfavorable from the outset, yet the depression still intensified, becoming Tropical Storm Barry the following day. Although wind speeds were high at times, reaching 60 mph, the storm could not sustain itself due to high amounts of wind shear, and dissipated three days later. Hurricane Chantal An extratropical cyclone southeast of Bermuda gained tropical characteristics on June 19, and slowly intensified to become Tropical Storm Chantal two days later. The storm moved slowly to the northwest, its convection bands strengthening until it reached Category 1 hurricane status, making it the first hurricane of the season. Chantal made landfall on Bermuda on June 24th, becoming the first cyclone to make landfall on the island since Hurricane Gonzalo in 2014. Nonetheless, damage was minimal. One fatality occurred as a result of a downed tree. Tropical Depression Four On July 6th, the NHC began tracking a tropical wave off the coast of Africa. It intensified into a depression two days later; however, it failed to intensify further due to dry air in the region. It lost tropical characteristics two days later on July 10th, although it continued as an extratropical cyclone, affecting no land. Hurricane Dorian The NHC began tracking a potential tropical cyclone on July 17 from a tropical wave near Cape Verde. The wave gained tropical characteristics and became Tropical Depression Five on July 22nd, and intensified to become Tropical Storm Dorian later the same day. Although the storm initially encountered minor amounts of wind shear, it strengthened into Hurricane Dorian early the next day, east of the Caribbean. After this, it began to rapidly intensify, turning slightly to the north as it first gained Category 1 hurricane status. It brushed past Puerto Rico as a Category 2 storm before making a sudden southwestern turn and making landfall in the Dominican Republic as a Category 3. The storm continued to make its way across Hispaniola, bringing devastating winds, gusting to 130 mph, and rainfall up to two and a half feet to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It weakened to a Category 1 while crossing over Haiti, yet briefly regained strength and became a Category 2 over the southern Caribbean the next day. However, dry air emanating from South America affected its continued development, and it executed an anti-cyclonic loop on July 27th, weakening to a tropical storm. After the loop, it continued to move to the south, weakening from the dry air as it moved, and made a second landfall in Colombia as a tropical depression. In Colombia, it brought over ten inches of rain in some locales, yet caused no fatalities. It became extratropical while over Colombia, and dissipated fully on July 31 near the Colombia-Panama border. Hurricane Dorian caused over 240 million USD in damage to Hispaniola, Colombia, and Puerto Rico, and 879 fatalities were attributed to the storm, 837 occurring in Haiti while 42 occurred in the Dominican Republic. Dorian was the most deadly hurricane in Haiti since Jeanne in 2004, due to its path leading it directly through the eastern part of the country as a strong Category 2 storm. Severe floods and mudslides occurred in the Haitian departments of Nord-Est, Centre, Ouest, and Sud-Est, along with the western Dominican Republic, with over two feet of rain falling in some areas. In addition to the fatalities, nearly 2,000 Haitians and over a hundred Dominicans were injured, and thousands of others across Hispaniola were displaced. After the storm, several countries, including France, Canada, and the United Kingdom, sent millions (USD) in foreign aid to Haiti and the Dominican Republic to repair damages dealt. Tropical Storm Erin The NHC began monitoring a potential tropical system south of Jamaica on July 26th. It intensified to become Tropical Depression Six and then Tropical Storm Erin, moving quickly northward. After initially making landfall in Cuba, it took an easterly turn, and began to quickly move north towards Florida. Erin made its second landfall near Bradenton, Florida on August 1st. It dissipated the following day over central Florida, after spending over thirteen hours inching across the state. Its remnants continued its northeastern path, passing across Cape Canaveral and into the Atlantic Ocean. As the storm moved towards Florida, Governor Gwen Graham declared a state of emergency for Manatee, Sarasota, and Charlotte Counties. Tropical Storm Erin caused severe flash flooding in the Sarasota area, dealing over 7 million USD in damage and dropping nearly 18 inches of rain. In addition to the floods in the Sarasota area, some areas of Central Florida was inundated with over eight inches of rainfall, including parts of Orlando. Two people drowned in Florida as a result of flooding from the storm. Tropical Storm Fernand The NHC began monitoring a potential tropical cyclone south of Hispaniola on August 3rd, which moved slowly across the Caribbean before intensifying into a depression on the 5th, and Tropical Storm Fernand later that day. It continued to move slowly to the west, making landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula on August 7th. Fernand had minimal financial impact and caused no fatalities in the Yucatan, yet brought torrential rains to the area. In Jamaica, flooding was reported from the unformed cyclone. Hurricane Gabrielle The NHC began monitoring a tropical wave near Cape Verde on August 13th. It intensified to become tropical three days later, and was officially named Gabrielle on the same day. It quickly gained hurricane status, and was projected to rapidly intensify, possibly nearing the United States. However, unforeseen wind shear east of the Caribbean prevented this from occurring, and the storm steered to the east, weakening to a tropical storm. However, conditions were more favorable in the central Atlantic, and it regained hurricane status the next day. Its condition fluctuated for the next five days as it made its way northeast, and it finally became extratropical on August 26th. Its remnants dissipated before reaching Ireland, which did not report rains as a result of the hurricane. Tropical Depression Nine Tropical Storm Humberto The NHC began monitoring a tropical wave well southwest of the Canary Islands on August 19th. It developed slowly, becoming Tropical Depression Ten three days later. Tropical Storm Humberto formed the day after, becoming the strongest tropical storm in the season as it meandered across the North Atlantic. However, it moved into colder waters several days after it reached its peak wind speeds, and rapidly lost intensity as it moved to the northwest. Humberto dissipated on August 28th. Hurricane Imelda The NHC began to monitor a potential tropical system over the Turks and Caicos Islands on August 31st, which became the eleventh depression of the season one day later, and intensified to become Tropical Storm Imelda soon after. Imelda moved slowly as a Category 1 hurricane through the Bahamas, intensifying to a Category 2 on September 5th as it neared the southern tip of Florida. The storm brushed past Key West as a Category 3 hurricane on September 7th, bringing torrential downpours to the key, with over nine inches of rain reported. One person died in Key West as a result of flooding. Imelda continued to move westward into the Gulf of Mexico, and rapid intensification occurred after it cleared the Florida Keys. Imelda became the first Category 4 storm of the season on September 8th, and quickly turned to a Category 5 storm the next day. It continued to intensify, and reached a maximum sustained wind speed of 180 mph while over the Gulf, tying it with Hurricanes Mitch and Rita to become the 5th most intense Atlantic hurricane of all time. Gusts of over 210 mph were reported by storm tracking planes while it was in the Gulf. Initially projected to continue to the west and strike Mexico, the hurricane took an unexpected northern turn on September 11th. After briefly weakening to a Category 4, it regained its Category 5 status as it moved northwards. Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency for eight counties and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency for the entire state of Louisiana as Imelda neared the United States coastline. After weakening to a strong Category 3 as it neared land, Imelda made landfall in Grand Chenier, Louisiana on September 14th. It weakened slowly while moving across land, not losing its hurricane status until late on September 15th near Natchez, Mississippi. It became extratropical on September 16th while maintaining tropical storm force winds, and dissipated fully three days later. Hurricane Imelda brought devastating rains and winds to Louisiana and southeastern Texas, inundating some areas with nearly three feet of water. These areas included the Golden Triangle, which was still recovering from damages from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. 67 people were killed in the Beaumont metropolitan area by the extreme flooding. Wind speeds upon landfall were over 120 mph; hundreds of structures from Lafayette to Beaumont were destroyed by the extreme winds. As Imelda moved across Louisiana, maintaining its hurricane force winds, it brought similar devastation to many small towns, and structures were heavily damaged by winds, rains, and levee failures as far as East Baton Rouge. As a tropical storm, it brought heavy rains and flash flooding to states from Mississippi to Indiana, and one person was killed in Kentucky by a mudslide caused by the storm. Imelda caused over 27 billion USD in damage to the Southern United States, and 112 people died as a result of its effects. Hurricane Jerry Tropical Storm Karen Tropical Storm Lorenzo Hurricane Melissa The NHC began monitoring a potential tropical system off Cape Verde on October 1st. Three days later, Tropical Depression Fifteen formed, and was projected from the beginning to become a powerful storm. Tropical Storm Melissa was officially named early in the morning on October 5th. It moved slowly to the southwest, intensifying to hurricane status two days later. An eyewall replacement cycle occurred soon thereafter, which initially weakened the storm slightly, yet caused it to rapidly intensify afterwards. Melissa became a major hurricane on October 8th, and gained Category 4 status four days afterward. No forecasting models could agree on the storm's future path for days; the European model trended towards Florida, while the American model projected that Melissa would move out to sea. On October 13th, the storm moved to the north, maintaining its Category 4 status for days. Models began to converge upon Virginia and the Carolinas, and by October 20th North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam had both declared states of emergencies that spanned much of their states. Mandatory evacuations were ordered in Virginia in the Virginia Beach area, while voluntary evacuations were ordered as far as Richmond and Wattsville. Meanwhile, although the hurricane briefly weakened back to a Category 3 on October 17th, it regained Category 4 status soon thereafter as moist air began to flow into the system, and only intensified as it moved towards the shoreline. Its shape was compact, and winds gusting up to 140 mph were observed throughout much of the cyclone. On October 22nd, Hurricane Melissa made landfall at peak intensity in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It began to slow down as it moved across Virginia, dumping as much as 48 inches of rain over 24 hours in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk area. Category 2 winds could still be observed in Charlottesville late the next day. Hurricane Melissa weakened to a tropical storm on October 24th, and became extratropical the next day. Its remnants took a sharp turn to the northeast, bringing floods as far north as Toronto. The coastlines of Virginia and North Carolina suffered massive damage from Melissa's storm surge, which exceeded 25 feet in height. Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Newport News suffered the worst damage from the storm, and, the day after Melissa's landfall, the "entire metropolitan area was... underwater," according to Governor Ralph Northam. Catastrophic, devastating conditions in the Virginia Beach area continued for days afterward, making rescue efforts nigh impossible in rough currents. As the waters receded, nearly 1,300 bodies were recovered from the area, and over 90 billion USD in damage was estimated to have occurred by an official report by Governor Northam. Although Melissa's effects were primarily felt in the south Chesapeake, ruinous flooding was reported as far north as Richmond, where thirty fatalities were reported, and Charlottesville, where sixteen fatalities were reported. As a tropical storm, Melissa brought heavy rains to West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Ontario. Five people drowned in West Virginia as a result of flooding. Hurricane Melissa was the third-costliest Atlantic hurricane in history, after Hurricanes Harvey and Katrina, and the deadliest in the United States since Hurricane Katrina. After Melissa, the Virginia Beach metro area lost a great deal of its population, and the migration from the area was reported to rival the exodus from New Orleans after Katrina's impacts. Tropical Storm Nestor Hurricane Olga Tropical Storm Pablo Hurricane Rebekah Hurricane Sebastien Tropical Storm Tanya Season Effects Names The following names were used for named storms that formed in the North Atlantic in 2019. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 2025 season. This is the same list used for the 2013 season. Storms were named Imelda, Nestor, and Rebekah for the first time in 2019. Retirement On April 25, 2020, at the 42nd session of the RA IV hurricane committee, the World Meteorological Organization retired the names Dorian, Imelda, Melissa, and Olga from List #5, and they will not be used again for another Atlantic hurricane. The names will be replaced with Darren, Ilana, Mireille, and Orla for the 2025 season. Name List For 2025 Category:Future tropical cyclone seasons Category:Manatee Category:Future hurricane seasons